Liverpool legend Michael Owen has sparked huge debate after openly claiming that the club’s recent struggles have little to do with manager Arne Slot or Mohamed Salah — instead, he believes the real issue lies deep within the defensive setup.
Following the Reds’ painful 3–2 defeat to Brentford, their fourth Premier League loss in a row, Owen didn’t hold back during his Sky Sports appearance. He accused certain defenders of consistently letting the team down, even hinting that one player in particular has cost Liverpool crucial points this season.
> “Slot isn’t the problem,” Owen said firmly. “People keep pointing fingers at the wrong person. There’s someone in that backline who keeps making the same mistakes — and it’s hurting the team week after week.”
According to Owen, Ibrahima Konaté and Liverpool’s new goalkeeper have been at the center of the team’s collapse in confidence.
> “Konaté is strong, no doubt,” he added, “but he loses focus at key moments. Basic defending — marking, awareness, composure — it’s not there. As for the new keeper, he doesn’t control his box. Every aerial ball turns into chaos. That uncertainty spreads through the whole defense.”
Liverpool’s defeat has dropped them further from the top six, and fans are beginning to lose patience. Many took to X (Twitter) to react:
💬 “Finally someone said it! Konaté and the keeper are making us suffer — Slot isn’t to blame!”
💬 “Bit harsh from Owen — the whole system’s broken, not just one or two players.”
Even Jamie Carragher weighed in on the discussion during the post-match analysis:
> “I get what Michael means — defensively, Liverpool look shaky. But when you lose four games in a row, it’s more than just one defender. The midfield’s not protecting enough, the keeper’s still adjusting, and the confidence is gone. It’s a full-team problem.”
Reports suggest that Arne Slot himself is aware of these issues and may consider rotating his defense in the coming matches. Sources claim he’s becoming increasingly frustrated with “avoidable errors” that continue to cost the team valuable points.
Once a side praised for its rock-solid defense under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool now looks a shadow of that era — leaking goals, losing leads, and battling inconsistency.
As the Reds prepare for their next test, all eyes will be on Konaté and the new goalkeeper. Can they silence the critics and restore belief, or will Owen’s warning prove true?
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